The present invention relates to a system and method for testing resources in a communication system.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional cellular radio system 100. The radio system 100 provides communication service to a plurality of cells C1-C5. A plurality of fixed base stations (116-124) serve the respective cells C1-C5. Each base station includes a transmitter, receiver, and base station controller (not shown). The base stations (116-124) are connected to and controlled by a plurality of mobile service switching centers (MSCs), e.g., MSC 126 and MSC 128. Namely, MSC 126 serves base stations 116 and 124, while MSC 128 serves base stations 118, 120, and 122. The MSCs 126 and 128, in turn, are connected to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) (not shown). The MSCs 126 and 128 are also connected to a home location register (HLR) 130. The radio system 100 defined by the base stations (116-124), MSCs (126 and 128), and HLR 130 provides communication services to the exemplary set of mobile stations (102-114) scattered about the radio coverage area of the system 100.
In one exemplary standard, a subset of radio frequencies is assigned to each of the cells C1-C5 for communicating with the mobile stations within the coverages of the cells. Each subset of channels may be divided into plural voice or data channels used to carry voice or data and one or more paging/access or control channels used to convey supervisory data messages between the mobile stations (102-114) and their respective base stations (116-124). The control information may specifically pertain to outgoing call signal information, incoming call signal information, paging signals, location registration signals, etc.
Among other tasks, the MSCs (126 and 128) switch calls between and among wireline and mobile subscribers, control signaling to the mobile stations, and administer the operation and maintenance of the system 100. The HLR 130 maintains a database storing an indication of the MSC associated with the last known location of each subscribing mobile station. In use, the HLR 130 routes calls directed to a mobile station to its associated MSC. The system 100 updates the location information stored in the HLR 130 when a mobile station roams into a new MSC area. The HLR 130 also stores information regarding services allocated to the subscribers, such as call forwarding on busy, private number plans, etc. Subscriber services are maintained by the HLR 130 using subscriber categories.
The efficient administration of a radio system of the above-described type requires occasional testing of system resources. For example, new or updated resources (such as a new antenna system) may require initial testing to ensure that the resources are functioning properly. Previously-deployed resources may require testing in conjunction with routine maintenance, or when the operator suspects that the resources are performing in a substandard manner.
To provide the most reliable results, testing conditions should closely resemble the normal operation of the communication system. It is possible to test the resources by deploying the resources and then allowing the general population of subscribers to use the resources. However, the reliability of the resources may be uncertain. It is often considered undesirable to subject the general population of subscribers to potentially faulty resources, which may result in lost calls and other service anomalies. To address this concern, it is common to restrict access to the monitored test resources to a pilot group of mobile stations. The operator monitors the interaction between these pilot stations and the monitored test resources. Once satisfied that the resources are performing in a reliable manner, the operator allows all subscribers to access the monitored test resources.
However, the efficient creation of a pilot group of test users has proven challenging. One technique used by the present inventors to accomplish this task is to modify the system information stored in the MSC and/or HLR. Namely, a group of xe2x80x9cfriendlyxe2x80x9d test mobile stations can be created by modifying the subscriber categories and routing analysis defined in the MSC and/or HLR. In effect, these modifications create a temporary patch in the routing and switching analysis provided by the MSC and/or HLR. However, modifying the subscriber categories requires a significant amount of administrative data changes. Also, the higher-level nodes in a radio system (such as the HLR node) may be administered by different business entities than the lower nodes (such as the base station controllers). Thus, an operator of a lower-level node may lack suitable access to the subscriber categories to make the required changes, or may lack sufficient confidence in the reliability of changes made on the operator""s behalf.
It is accordingly an exemplary objective of the present invention to provide a technique for testing communication resources in a more efficient and reliable manner than the above-described approaches.
These and other exemplary objectives are achieved according to the present invention by using a Test System Identification value (TSID value) to represent a test system and associated test activity within a communication system. Mobile stations which are members of the test system are allowed access to test resources in the communication system. In a first embodiment, to provide access to the test resources, the test system can broadcast the TSID value on a control channel. A mobile station receives the control channel and compares the broadcast TSID value with numeric information stored in its internal memory. Upon a match, the mobile station is permitted to camp on the control channel of the test system and use its resources. In a second embodiment, the mobile station may gain access to test resources by transmitting its TSID value to higher-level nodes of the communication system (without first receiving and comparing a broadcast TSID value). Still alternatively, the higher-level nodes of the communication system may independently ascertain the test membership status of the mobile station based on other mobile-identifying information supplied by the mobile station.
The dedication of TSID-defined test systems to testing activities allows an operator to quickly set up (and later deactivate) a set of xe2x80x9cfriendlyxe2x80x9d test mobile stations without making burdensome changes to subscriber categories maintained by the higher nodes of the communication system.